This Week at First Nations: June 24, 2022

Certifying Butchers, Improving Supply Chains at Oneida Nation

This week, First Nations held a four-day training at Oneida Nation to help seven community members and Oneida Nation staff earn certification in beef butchering. The training is part of the Forging Last-Mile Protein Supply Chains in Indian Country project and First Nations’ overall efforts to strengthen food security and access. Participants at the special training learned how to select and harvest animals in safe and humane ways, break down animals to produce specific cuts, and store meat safely and effectively.


Regaining Water Control at White Mountain Apache Tribe

Last week, First Nations was onsite with Community Partner White Mountain Apache Tribe to help facilitate a teambuilding session for the Land Operations Office to assist staff in strengthening camaraderie, capacity, and strategy. Facilitated by Melvin Consulting, the session led participants in exercises on teambuilding, capacity building, wellness, and more. First Nations’ Jackie Francke said she was inspired by the large turnout and the efforts underway to strengthen the capacity of the Land Operations Office and the vision for building a stronger program. The training was part of the tribe’s overall work being supported through First Nations’ Increasing Native Producer and Community Access to Quality Water Resources project. Great job, White Mountain Apache Tribe!


Reminder: Register Now for Conservation and Range Management Field Day

Native producers throughout the Southwest are invited to attend First Nations’ Conservation and Range Management Field Day, August 19 and 20, 2022, at Padres Mesa Demonstration Ranch in Chambers, Arizona. This special 1.5-day convening will explore the latest practices and trends in conservation strategies. A limited number of travel stipends are available. Learn more and register here.


Collaborating for a Better View of Conservation

Green 2.0 believes lasting environmental change starts with every voice being heard. With this in mind, the organization produces and shares reports on diversity, educates policy makers, tracks outcomes of environmental work, and spreads the narrative of empowering people of color. First Nations is proud to be an ongoing partner of Green 2.0, and to have Mike Roberts share a message on the Green 2.0 Partner Spotlight page. Here, he highlights the need for a “new” way to look at conservation and bring in the “old wisdom” of other people and cultures. Read Mike’s quote here and scroll down.


Marilynn Malerba to Be First Native American Treasurer of the U.S.

This week, Marilynn Malerba was appointed by President Biden as treasurer of the United States. It will be the first time a Native American has held the position. CBS News reports Malerba is the chief of the Mohegan Tribe, and she currently serves on the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee. In her role as U.S. Treasurer, Malerba will oversee the U.S. Mint, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and Fort Knox, as a key link to the Federal Reserve. Read more.

Photo credit Jessica Hill/AP


Historic Intergovernmental Agreement Reached for Tribal Land Acquisition

Also this week, Indian Country Today reported that the Town of Camp Verde, Arizona, and the Yavapai-Apache Nation have reached a historic agreement to return a small part of the nation’s ancestral lands to the nation. Under the agreement, specified U.S. Forest Service lands can be “added to the nation’s existing reservation with the full support of the town.” Read more.


Native American Tribe to Co-Manage National Monument for First Time

In another historic agreement this week, the Biden administration announced it will give five Native American tribes “more say over the day-to-day management” of the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. The five tribes plan to submit a land management plan for Bears Ears to the Bureau of Land Management, which will then incorporate the tribes’ recommendations into its own plan. Read more.

Photo credit Katherine Frey/The Washington Post


Farmers Restore Hawaii’s Ancient Food Forests That Once Fed an Island

Maui, one of the largest islands in Hawaii, has become a hub for GMO research. According to The Guardian, between 85% and 90% of food in Maui comes from imports, and less than 1% of the state budget goes to agriculture. But Indigenous farmers are restoring traditional farming to Maui. “The goal is to knock the empire down and replace corporate ag guys with something more environmentally sustainable which reflects our values,” says one farmer of a food and land sovereignty movement gaining momentum in Hawaii.

Photo credit Bea Oyster/The Guardian


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